Data & Analytics

The retail landscape is changing more rapidly now than at any point in history. As technology and customer demands evolve, retailers and their supply chains must be increasingly flexible and adaptable.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 trends for the retail supply chain in 2015.

1. This year will be omnichannel’s time to shine.

New York -- Retail spending growth for the holiday period totaled 3.2%, and Christmas Eve, not Black Friday, was the busiest spending day of the year. Those are just two of the findings in the First Data SpendTrend annual holiday wrap-up.

The report, which includes only card-based forms of payment, is based on analysis of over 400,000 retail merchant locations across the nation, from Nov. 1, 2014 through Jan. 4, 2015, and had processing activity with First Data for the same period during the previous year.  

From Valentine’s Day to Christmas, the year is filled with big moments for retailers – but a retailer’s strategy should be much more than a numbers game during these times. Rather, these moments present an opportunity to build momentum for the entire year with a 360-degree brand strategy that gives shoppers an unforgettable experience that will keep them coming back.

To maximize the potential benefits of big retail moments throughout 2015, keep these five pillars in mind:

The National Retail Federation’s Big Show 2015 is a prime opportunity to demo the latest tech advancements from leading retail solution providers. The Oracle Retail team will be onsite with a small army of product experts, partners and customers to showcase its new 14.1 innovations, combined with powerful new functionality through the acquisition of MICROS.

To simplify retailers’ IT environments while helping them deliver the commerce anywhere experience consumers expect, Oracle unveiled enhancements to its retail portfolio with the launch of Oracle Retail Release14.1. This release builds on Oracle’s strategy for the combination of Oracle and MICROS, as well as its retail offerings in the cloud.

Another January, another NRF “Big Show” in New York. The annual meeting officially kicks off on Sunday. Here’s my early take on what to expect from exhibitors at the show:

1. More Cooperation With Retailers

Union, N.J. – Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. beat Wall Street expectations for its third quarter net earnings even as they declined from the same quarter in fiscal 2013. Net earnings equaled $225.4 million, a 5% decline from $237.2 million.

An increase in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses was a major factor in the net earnings drop. Net sales rose 3% to $2.94 million, from $2.86 million. Same-store sales rose 1.7%.
 

San Francisco – Gap Inc. should be happy to greet this year’s holiday season, based on its performance in the just-concluded 2014 holiday season. Net sales for the November and December 2014 holiday shopping season were up 4% and same-store sales were up 3%, compared with the previous year.

San Diego – PriceSmart Inc. reported mixed results for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, missing Wall Street expectations for net income but exceeding revenue forecasts. Net income totaled $20.65 million, down 4% from $21.43 million.

Higher income taxes and expenses drove the decline in profit. Total revenues fared better, growing 8% to $656 million, from $605.6 million. Same-store sales rose 1.5%.
 

Houston – Francesca’s Holding Corp. is still feeling the warmth of the holidays. The retailer is increasing its guidance for fourth quarter sales to between $103 million and $105 million, including a low-single-digit decrease in same-store sales.